Plans nearly complete for new traffic signal

Friday, February 19, 2010

By GREG SWATT TN Correspondent tneditor@tnonline.com

Thursday night at the Kidder Township board of supervisors meeting, the Township Manager John Finnerty discussed the route 534 and route 903 traffic signal. The project to install the traffic signal which was funded by a grant from the state is nearly complete in the planning stage.

The planning and zoning process is nearly complete. There were able to come in under budget with the designing and planning phase of the project saving nearly $4000.00 in grant money. The county has asked Kidder Township to consider giving them the surplus money left over from the grant.

When dealing with state grants that are issued, if all of the money is not used by the designated project, the left over money would be returned to the state. Then board has asked the township manager to look at any and all possible ways to include the surplus money into the project so they do not lose the money. The deadline for the grant money to be used is the end of June.

There were several members of the local fire companies present in the audience and asked if there was a way to use the surplus money to get them some much needed equipment. The money the county had set aside to help the fire companies acquired the needed equipment was instead used by the county for its own purpose.

The emitters needed by the two fire companies would cost nearly $4,000.00. The Kidder Township Board of Supervisors would much rather use the money to help their fire companies then lose the money back to the state. They asked the John Finnerty the Township Manager to inquire if it would be possible to use the money to get the necessary equipment. John Finnerty stated that he would contact Representative Keith McCall's office to see what could be done.